Macadamia cultivation in Kenya
When we were looking for a unique organic product, we found it in Kenya: There, smallholders traditionally plant macadamia trees, taking advantage of the special benefits of organic mixed farming. The dense foliage provides shade for other fruit and vegetable plants. At the same time, the strong board roots protect the soil from erosion. Hence a perfect crop that meets the challenges of climate change.
The macadamia is a valuable type of nut that was previously almost impossible for European food and cosmetics manufacturers to obtain in certified organic quality.
LIMBUA has closed this gap and is now the market leader.
Interesting facts about the nut
The evergreen macadamia tree reaches an impressive size of up to 15 meters. After about seven years, it bears up to 50 kilograms of fruit, which ripens gradually. The aromatic nuts are covered by a thick protective skin, which is removed after harvesting.
Gentle drying reduces the moisture content of the nuts to a maximum of 1 to 2 percent. Then it is time to break open the extremely hard shell with a special nutcracker. LIMBUA has developed its own tools and machines for this purpose, which preserve the valuable kernels in the best possible way.
Utilization down to the hard shell
Macadamias are particularly valuable nuts. But their coating can also be put to good use. The thick, fibrous protective skins bind CO2 and serve as mulch on the cultivated land. In this way, they prevent the soil from drying out and return nutrients to it.
Around 2,800 tons of nutshells are produced each year during the cracking process. The nutshells are being used to heat the ovens in the drying plants to dry the nuts in a sustainable manner.
Avocados enrich organic market
LIMBUA wants to constantly expand market opportunities for Kenyan smallholder farmers. That is why we have now included organic avocado oil in our product range. "Hass" and "Fuerte" are the names of the varieties that grow in the shade of the macadamia trees.
Perfectly ripened, they are pressed into high-quality organic oil in our new on-site manufactory. The result is a sought-after ingredient for aromatic salad oil or nourishing natural cosmetics.
ALL ABOUT THE MACADAMIA
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